Bayonet Charge Flashcards
When was it written?
1957
Who wrote Bayonet Charge?
Ted Hughes
How does the poem start?
Starts in the middle of the action - a soldier, dazzled by enemy fire, charges towards a green hedge with his bayonet
Why does the soldier stop?
Because the air is thick with bullets and so he stops to contemplate his motives
What does the soldier encounter?
A flaming hare, which he hurries past, forgetting the reason that he went to war
What is the form of the poem?
Written in media res, dropping us straight into the action and adding to the drama of the soldier who is unprepared
What is the structure of the poem?
Written in 3 stanzas of free verse
What does Hughes use a lot of throughout the poem?
Enjambment and Caesura - to reflect the unpredictable, jittery journey of the soldier
What effect does the use of one very long sentence have on the reader?
It leaves the reader breathless, again reflecting the experience of the soldier
What does the use of dashes reflect?
The fragmented thoughts and actions of the bewildered soldier
What is the quote starting with, “Suddenly he…”?
“Suddenly he awoke and was running”
What is the quote starting with, “Stumbling…”?
“Stumbling across a field of clods”
What is the quote starting with, “Dazz…”?
“Dazzled with rifle fire”
What is the quote starting with, “Bullets…”?
“Bullets smacking the belly out of the air”
What is the quote starting with, “Patri…”?
“Patriotic tear… sweating like molten iron”
What is the quote starting with, “Listening…”?
“Listening between his footfalls for the reason”
What is the quote starting with, “Yellow…”?
“Yellow hare that rolled like a flame”
What is the quote starting with, “King…”?
“King, honour, human dignity, etcetera”
What is the quote starting with, “Drop…”?
“Dropped like luxuries”
What 3 poems can you compare Bayonet Charge to?
Exposure
The Prelude
Charge of the Light Brigade
When is contrast used?
Images of the natural world are used to contrast the bleak, dull, reality of war in the trenches
Why has Hughes used robotic, mechanical language?
To make the soldier appear emotionless and inhuman
What does the word “etcetera” conclude?
The motives for going to war creates an anti-climax
What is used to personify the bullets?
Figurative, plosive language
